Syndicate

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL (Sat., April 3, 2010) – Robert LaPenta’s 3-year-old Ice Box breezed a half-mile in 49 flat Saturday morning at Palm Meadows for trainer Nick Zito in his first workout since his 20-to-1 upset victory in the $750,000 Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park on Mar. 20.

Zito plans to train the stretch-running son of Pulpit up to his next start in the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 1.

Also prominent on the Saturday morning work tab at Palm Meadows was Dogwood Stable’s Aikenite. He was timed for five furlongs in 1:02 for trainer Todd Pletcher.

The son of Yes It’s True finished third last out in the $250,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream on Feb. 20 and is expected to run in next Saturday’s $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.

Double Triple for Lopez at Gulfstream

Jockey Paco Lopez rode three winners on Thursday at Gulfstream Park to pass Javier Castellano atop the leader board in the rider standings for the meet and added three more on Friday’s card to extend his margin to 55-50 with John Velazquez third at 46 going into Saturday’s program.

Veterans Castellano and Velazquez ranked one-two in the standings for most of the session, but have moved on since the Florida Derby (G1) on Mar. 20, both in action on Friday’s opening day program at Keeneland.

Lopez, a 24-year-old native of Vera Cruz, Mexico, was voted Eclipse champion apprentice in 2008 while based at Calder for most of the season where he won meet title. Lopez will be a heavy favorite to win his first Gulfstream championship as the session winds down to a close on Apr. 24.

Trainer Todd Pletcher is virtually assured of a seventh consecutive Gulfstream meet title with 32 victories, nearly double his closest rivals. Nick Zito and Bill Mott are tied for second with 17 apiece, followed by Rick Dutrow in fourth with 15 and Marty Wolfson and Wesley Ward tied for fifth at 13 apiece.

Gulfstream-Raced Team Sweeps First Four places in Transylvania

Four 3-year-olds that made their last starts at Gulfstream Park swept the first four places in Friday’s $100,000 Transylvania Stakes (G3) on opening day at Keeneland, led by Amerland Stud’s Nordic Truce who was ridden to victory by Julien Leparoux. He remains undefeated in three career starts for trainer Christopher Clement.

The Kentucky homebred son of Yes It’s True won the $100,000 Dania Beach Stakes over the Gulfstream course last out on Jan. 16 and was followed home in order in the Transylvania by Wesley Ward and partners’ Strike the Tiger, Michael Bruder’s Guys Reward and Silverton Hill Farm’s King Ledley.

Another strong group of 3-year-olds that trained in South Florida and ran at Gulfstream earlier this season is expected to contest next Saturday’s $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland, including two for trainer Todd Pletcher – Dogwood Stable’s Aikenite and Wertheimer et Frere’s Interactif.

Aikenite makes his first start since finishing third to Pletcher-trained stablemate Eskendereya in the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) here on Feb. 20. Interactif finished second in the Hallandale Beach Stakes on turf at Gulfstream on Feb. 7 and came back to finish second in the San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita on Mar. 13.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Pleasant Prince is now listed probable for the Blue Grass after finishing a game second by a nose behind Ice Box in the Florida Derby (G1) for trainer Wesley Ward on Mar. 20 after the son of Indy King finished fourth in the Fountain of Youth.

Donegal Racing Stable’s Paddy O’Prado goes into the Blue Grass after making his last two starts on turf at Gulfstream for trainer Dale Romans. The son of El Prado finished third in an allowance race on Feb. 10 and won the Palm Beach Stakes (G3) on Mar. 6 by 2 ½ lengths.

Finally, Padua Stable’s Odysseus broke his maiden at Gulfstream on Jan. 14 in his second start for trainer Tom Albertrani and made his way onto the Kentucky Derby trail with a 15-length allowance victory at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 17 and a hard-fought nose victory in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on Mar. 13.